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Battery Basics for The Radio Operator

Battery Basics for The Radio Operator. Paul Patterson - AE9P J&K Communications, Inc. 222 S. Tower View Dr. Columbia City, IN 46725. Battery Basics. Primary and Secondary Batteries Most two-way radios will operate with either. Battery Basics. Primary Batteries:

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Battery Basics for The Radio Operator

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  1. Battery BasicsforThe Radio Operator • Paul Patterson - AE9P • J&K Communications, Inc. • 222 S. Tower View Dr. • Columbia City, IN 46725

  2. Battery Basics • Primary and Secondary Batteries • Most two-way radios will operate with either.

  3. Battery Basics • Primary Batteries: • The chemical reaction which produces energy is irreversible, which means the battery can be used once then discarded.

  4. Battery Basics • Secondary Battery: • The chemical action of these batteries can be reversed.  Which means they can be discharged and recharged many many times depending on the application, radio power and features.  Nicad and Nickel Metal Hydride fall into this category.

  5. Battery Basics • Nickel Cadmium Batteries (NiCd): • A Nicad battery has two plates in each cell, one is Nickel the other, Cadmium.  These two metals allow the electrochemical reaction in the cell to be reversed which allows the cells to be recharged.

  6. Battery Basics • Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries (NiMH): • This more recent technology operates similar to and provides the same voltage as Nicads.  It generally provide more capacity (operation time) but has shorter cycle life (the number of times a battery can be charged and discharged) than most Nicads.

  7. Battery Basics • Cell Grade Differences: • Cells are one of the most important components in a battery pack because they (1) determine how long a battery will operate before it requires a charge (this is referred to as capacity or Mah) and ............

  8. Battery Basics • Cell Grade Differences: • (2) they determine how many times you can charge and discharge a battery before the energy is expended and it must be replaced (this is referred to as cycle life) Premium/High Tier Grade & Low Tier Cell Comparisons:

  9. Battery Basics • Cell Grade Differences: • There are 2 fundamental grades, classifications or tiers of cells which can be assembled into a battery pack.  They are, premium grade cells (high tier) and low tier cells.  Equipment use only premium grade cells in their battery kits.

  10. Battery Basics • Premium Grade Cells Operate Longer Than Low Tier Grade Cells: • Premium grade cells can provide radio users up to 10% more capacity than low tier cells (that means they can talk, on the average, up to 1 hour & 12 minutes longer while operating their radios at room temperature)‏

  11. Battery Basics • Premium Grade Cells Operate Longer Than Low Tier Grade Cells: • Premium grade cells can provide radio users up to 80% more capacity than low tier cells while operating at -20C (that means users can operate their radios up to 2 hours & 46 minutes longer than users using low tier cells in their radios before requiring a charge)‏

  12. Battery Basics • Premium Grade Cells Last Longer Than Low Tier Cells: • Premium grade cells can provide radio users at least 2.77 times more charges and discharges than radio users using battery kits with standard grade cells.

  13. Battery Basics • Memory Effect: • One of the most common and least understood problems encountered by Two-Way Radio Users.

  14. Battery Basics • The Cause: • An accumulation of very tiny gas bubbles and the formation of irregular shaped cadmium crystals which adhere to the cell plates.

  15. Battery Basics • The Effect: • A battery will only charge to the level which it was last discharged.

  16. Battery Basics • As an Example: • If a battery is repeatedly discharged to only 30% of it's capacity during normal operation and then recharged, the battery will only accept a charge to 30% of it's capacity.  Assume a battery could last a full 8 hour shift - this means the radio user only utilized 30% or 2 hours and 40 minutes of the available operation time.  As a result, that user can only operate that battery for 2 hours and 40 minutes, even though it received a full charge!

  17. Battery Basics • How to Avoid Memory Effect: • The most cost effective way to avoid memory effect is to utilize all of the batteries available capacity (it's like driving your car until the tank is empty) Then, replace that battery with a spare and recharge the expended battery (Ultimately, this saves money since batteries will last significantly longer - Each time a battery is discharged and charged, it loses a cycle and or day of operation)‏

  18. Battery Basics • How To Overcome Memory Effect: • If your battery develops memory effect; Most Dealers offer a battery conditioning process this removes those tiny gas bubbles and breaks down those cadmium crystals which accumulated on the cell plates by draining the battery to it's lowest operating voltage and recharging it.  Memory effect is more common to NiCD batteries however it can be experienced, to some degree, with NiMH batteries also.  Battery conditioners can be purchased through your local dealer.

  19. Battery Basics • Choosing The Proper Battery: • The primary consideration for selecting a battery is the number of hours of operation required between charges.  Matching battery capacity to a radios power requirements is another common problem. Each portable radio requires varying levels of current during the transmit, receive and standby mode.  The power drain varies considerable depending on the radios frequency, power, features and options.

  20. Battery Basics • Choosing The Proper Battery: • Each radio consumes energy at a different rate.  As an example, a standard talk & listen 1 Watt portable radio can operate significantly longer using a 1000 mAh battery than a 3 or 4 Watt full featured portable radio.  

  21. Battery Basics • Choosing The Proper Battery: • The standard worldwide radio user application is referred to as a 5-5-90 Duty Cycle.  This means users transmit (talk) 5% of the time, receive (listen) 5% of the time and are "on standby" 90% of the time.  (The radio's switched on-but no one is transmitting or receiving) A 5-5-90 Duty Cycle as related to a standard 8 hour shift:

  22. Battery Basics • Choosing The Proper Battery: • 5%    Transmit      = 24 minutes of transmission • 5%    Receive        = 24 minutes of receive •  90%  Standby        = 7 hours & 12 minutes of standby •  (Some applications requires radio users purchase a spare battery to power the radio during an 8 hour or extended shift)‏

  23. Battery Basics • Factory Mutual Approved Batteries: • Using a portable two-way radio that's labeled FM approved as Intrinsically Safe or non-incendive allows the user to safely operate that radio & battery in a hazardous location where the use of a standard two-way radio and battery is restricted. 

  24. Battery Basics • Factory Mutual Approved Batteries: • A hazardous location is defined as an area where fire/explosion hazard may exist due to the presence of one or more of the following: flammable gases, vapors, or liquids, combustible dust, ignitable fibers of flying particles.

  25. Battery Basics • Factory Mutual Approved Batteries: • The following conditions must be met to ensure a radio is approved for operation in these hazardous environments: • The proper label must be on the approved portable two-way radio. • The portable two-way radio must be used with a Factory Mutual Approved as  • Intrinsically Safe / non-incendive battery.

  26. Battery Basics How Temperature Effects Your Battery: Both NiCd & NiMH batteries operate best at room temperature (70F - 75F / 20C - 25C) while charging and discharging.  However, under normal use, they can be exposed to varying temperature extremes due to application or geographic location.  These extremes can effect both charging and operation time.  

  27. Battery Basics How Temperature Effects Your Battery: Exposure to heat while charging can reduce the batteries maximum available charging capacity by 25%.  Talk time can be reduced by 10% when operated in extreme heat (45C) and by more than 50% when operated in extreme cold environments (-20C or more)  Batteries fully discharged and returned to room temperature will operate normally and will not by permanently affected.

  28. Battery Basics Battery Life Span: NiCD batteries have a 2 year shelf life which means they can be stored at room temperature up to 2 years (prior to charging) without losing significant capacity.  NiMH batteries which are stored for a 6-12 month period should be charged periodically to eliminate non recoverable capacity losses.

  29. Battery Basics Battery Life Span: NIMH batteries can have a 1 year shelf life.  Previously operated batteries also can be stored and reused but should be totally discharged and charged (exercised) before going back into operation.  For maximum life span, batteries should be stored in a cool dry place at room temperature.

  30. Battery Basics • Ni-Cd Ni-MH

  31. Battery Basics ???? QUESTIONS ????

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